Liza Tarbuck, the 61-year-old comedian and broadcaster, has left her long-running Saturday evening show on BBC Radio 2 after 14 years. Tarbuck, who hosted the 6pm to 8pm slot since 2012, shared the news on Instagram, calling the experience ‘like a private members club’ and ‘the stuff of dreams.’ She stated she wanted her weekends back and thanked listeners for the community built around her program.

Who Is Liza Tarbuck and What Did She Build?

Liza Tarbuck was born on November 21, 1964, in Liverpool, the daughter of comedian Jimmy Tarbuck and his wife Pauline. She trained at RADA alongside Clive Owen and Rebecca Pidgeon before graduating in 1986. Her television career began in 1987 when she was cast as the lead in the Granada comedy Watching, which ran for seven years. She returned to BBC One in 2001 for the Blackadder series The Thin Blue Line, and went on to host Channel 4’s Without Prejudice, the Sky One game show Blockbusters, and to narrate Channel 4’s Supersize vs Superskinny across six seasons. She is also the star of Upstart Crow and has competed on Taskmaster, building across four decades a reputation as one of British comedy’s most naturally gifted performers.

Tarbuck’s Radio 2 journey began in 2007, when she co-hosted afternoon programmes with Mark Radcliffe while Steve Wright was on leave. The specific alchemy of her voice, her playlist instincts, and her ability to make two hours of Saturday evening radio feel like an invitation to a private gathering of people who all happened to share excellent taste revealed itself to the station’s management immediately. She was given the Saturday 6-8pm slot as her own in May 2012, and she held it without interruption or serious challenge for nearly fourteen years.

Radio Today confirmed that her departure ends what Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, described as ‘a truly magical, fantastical world.’ Jo Whiley, in a tribute posted to Instagram within hours of the announcement, called Tarbuck’s show the backdrop to her own Saturday evenings of ‘pruning roses’ to Tarbuck’s ‘brilliant eclectic playlist.’

Legacy of Liza Tarbuck

The tributes from Radio 2 colleagues were immediate, specific, and visibly heartfelt. Shaun Keaveny, who will cover the slot until the end of March while the BBC announces permanent plans, wrote that Tarbuck ‘stands among the greats,’ placing her ‘shoulder to shoulder with Terry [Wogan], Steve [Wright], all that lot.’ Rylan Clark, who hosts the Saturday afternoon show that immediately precedes Tarbuck’s slot, said he was going to ‘miss her so much’ and acknowledged the specific quality of their off-air relationship — the kind of genuine warmth between colleagues that occasionally produces broadcasting institutions rather than merely well-run programmes. Sally Traffic noted she was going to miss ‘my Saturday hug.’

Tarbuck’s stated reason for leaving — that she wanted her weekends back — is both obviously true and somewhat incomplete. She is 61, has an active television career that includes multiple upcoming acting projects, and has spent the last fourteen years giving the entirety of her Saturday evenings to an audience that, based on Wednesday’s reaction, considers itself personally bereaved by her departure. The Radio 2 Saturday evening slot had, in a media landscape of algorithm-driven streaming and individualised listening, maintained through Tarbuck’s particular personality something that the platform’s broader reach cannot replicate: a sense of communal Saturday gathering.

Helen Thomas’ comment that ‘the door at Radio 2 will always be open for her’ is both politically diplomatic and, given the reaction of the audience who lined up to express their devastation, almost certainly a genuine offer. Whether Tarbuck walks back through that door is a decision she has earned the right to make in her own time.

Scott Mills, host of The Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2, addressed Tarbuck’s exit on his show, reading out a listener’s message that described Tarbuck as ‘a friend who visits our house every Saturday, my kids call her the crazy duck lady.’ He said, ‘She will be missed.’

Tarbuck’s final message on Instagram included a reference to her signature bowler hat and a bow, ending with the line ‘see you in the ice.’ Fans and celebrities alike expressed their grief and admiration for her work, with Lisa Faulkner writing, ‘I am so so sad. I LOVE your Saturday show. I love you. Saturday nights won’t be the same.’

Jo Whiley added, ‘This is terrible news for us all. Just mentally trying to recalibrate my Saturday evenings. I’ve always loved our time in the garden — me pruning roses and you serenading me with your brilliant eclectic playlist and nothing but positive vibes always. No-one cared more about their listeners than you, Liza. As a fan, I am bereft. Thank you for the music and chat, the love and support LT. The broadcaster’s broadcaster — much love.’

Rylan Clark also paid tribute, saying, ‘Of course you of all people would put a handwritten exit letter CROPPED so it’s like a game on the crystal maze to read. I’m gonna miss you so much. Genuinely. I’m so lucky to have worked with you for so long. Thank you for making me cackle on and off air. I love you’ followed by a red heart emoji.

Former EastEnders actress Natalie Cassidy added, ‘What am I going to do though. The best two hours of radio in my life. This is what it must have felt like for Bea.’

Tarbuck’s departure marks the end of an era for BBC Radio 2, a station that has relied on her unique ability to create a sense of community and connection through her Saturday evening show. As the media landscape continues to evolve, the impact of her work will be felt for years to come.